Solstice Adventures at Kedleston and Calke

The shortest day of the year proved to be a bright sunny one - luckily because we were taking our grandson out for the day.

First we headed back to Kedleston Hall to see if a four year old found the Advent Trail as much fun as we did. He did - running in front of us to find the next door, opening the latches, playing with the glove puppets, trying to work the music boxes, counting stars etc. 

It's great fun for children, especially on a fine sunny day, and we could have spent longer exploring the grounds and park but we needed lunch before our second adventure.

The second of our adventures took us to Calke to see the festive light trail. I loved it. It's not as huge as, say, Chatsworth display, but there are more lights than in previous years, and all included in the general admission cost.

Paths strung with lights lead to the house, with stars illuminating one side, and colour-changing lights another.

From the house, a trail of small illuminated trees lead to the church and gardens, where there are 'fireplaces' of light, a Christmas tree, and an illuminated tunnel. Although it wasn't cold, by this point my phone decided it had had enough, so I couldn't get more photos, and having to hurry to keep pace with a four-year old didn't give me time to properly focus for them anyway. 

Of the two trips, the advent trail worked better with an enthusiastic small child. In daytime, with limited possibilities for mischief, he could run in front of us and find the doors himself; in the dark he had to stay close, and walk at our pace for risk of losing him, which I think he found frustrating. Something to remember for future excursions.

 

Advent Trail and frozen lakes at Kedleston

Like many country houses, Kedleston Hall is decorated inside for Christmas, but on a sunny (but frosty) day I wanted to explore the Advent Trail. To be honest it's aimed at children but it added an extra bit of fun to the Short Walk, even for us old folks.

Twenty-four festively-decorated 'houses' fastened to trees have doors which open to disclose wintry/Christmassy related facts or simple activities (count the painted stars, sing a carol, for example).

There are opportunities for selfies and family photos by the massive parcels and evergreen archway, in a sleigh, or even crouched inside a Christmas bauble, and all in all it's an enjoyable way to get outside for some fresh air.

The Short Walk itself was looking beautiful with sun shining across frosted fields and lighting up the remaining leaves, but, having found all the advent doors, we turned round at the viewpoint, and headed back downhill to see something special which I'd noticed on the approach to the Hall.

Passing over the bridge I'd noticed that the lakes had iced over - or at least almost - and I wanted to see them from closer up.

Water was still flowing freely over the weirs, but most of the lakes above and below were frozen. 

Here and there, where the current was strongest, the water had remained clear for most of the day, but by late afternnon even that was starting to ice over.

There were very few birds remaining on the water and I wondered where they'd gone - till a helicopter flew over the neighbouring golf course and disturbed them, filling the air with their raucous noise for a few minutes before they settled again.

We didn't walk far. After a while one frozen lake starts to look much like another, and the temperature was dropping as the sun set.

 By this time, just the trees over on the golf course were still in light, and reflecting on the frozen lake.

Chatsworth Illuminated Garden

Christmas is creeping up on me without me being at all in the mood, so in an attempt to change this we went out one clear but cold evening last week to see the festive illuminations at Chatsworth garden 

The trail is longer this year than previous ones, leading up the beech avenue, through the illuminated bamboo tunnel, and winding back via the Maze and Rock Garden, to the Casacde.

 And we timed thing right to be accompanied throughout by the full moon, making it all even more magical.

A sunny day!

The weather of late has been so dull and dreary that any sunny day has to be ceased and enjoyed. It was late afternoon though by the time we got to Shipley Park to enjoy the sun.

It isn't long since I was last there but the mood semed to have moved from autumn to winter. 

Only a few leaves still clung to trees, and the colour came mainly from shining pale trunks and bright red berries.

I said we were late in the day, but I was surprised to see the sun setting as we started to walk up Horsepool Hill. 

... and totally set as we headed back down to the car park.

 

Dark Satanic Mills

Late one afternoon, after a failed attempt to visit a Christmas market, we called off at Cromford on the way home for a walk around the shops in the old mill buildings and along the canal. It's a place I've visited many times, but on this occasion I was particularly struck by how gloomy and oppressive the old mills were.

Perhaps it was due to the failing light, the chilly weather, the emptiness of the mill yard, but they really did live up  to William Blake's 'dark satanic mills'  name. I've heard that Blake was probably referring to Albion mills in London, but Arkwright's Cromford mills were there at the forefront of the industrial revolution, bringing huge blocks of buildings, and a whole new way of working, to an otherwise rural environment. 

It's that pleasant countryside that attracts visitors today. The towpath beside the canal built to ship out factory goods now makes a pleasant level walking route along the valley, the High Peak Railway is a hillier cycle and walking route leading over the hills towards Buxton, and in Spring the nearby hillsides are covered in bluebells. But the mill workers would have little time to enjoy the surrounding countryside.

On a grim November day, with the few walkers pacing quickly past huddled in scarves and hats, the past seems closer - workers hurrying along to the mill before the sun has risen over the hills, horse-drawn barges heading along the canal. No time for leisure activities; just hard dawn to dusk (and possibly beyond) work. 

 

Salford

I'm not really a city person -give me countryside or seashore any day - but Manchester always intrigues me with its mix of old and new. I've posted before about exploring the Castlefields area and Salford Quays and Ordsall Hall but this time we were in the university area of Salford.

Despite the heavy traffic on Chapel Street there's a surprising amount of quiet to be found - just looking over the railing to see the Irwell flowing past, or walking alongside the river and through Peel Park

Late afternoon in November probably isn't the best time to visit and/or take photographs, but lights were twinkling along the bridge and roses continuing to bloom in the flower beds.

Peel Park (named after Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel) was opened in 1846, and renovated in 1917. Paths lead beside the river and through flower beds, there's a playpark for children, open spaces for dogs to runs, and at the centre a monument to Salford's first MP, Joseph Brotherton (apparently there used to be more statues but these have been dispersed to other locations or lost).  

Turning back to face Chapel Street I was again met by one of Manchester's juxtapositions of old and new - the Museum and Art Gallery to the right, the University building to the left.

Elsewhere, 'new' is definitely winning with high rise tower blocks soaring into the night sky, but someone at least is resisting gentrification and Salford's claimto be the 'Brooklyn of Manchester'.